Formula Feedings - Tampa,FL

If she seems to want baby oatmeal cearal, there is no reason why you shouldn't let her have it mixed with formula and maybe a little jarred baby fruit for extra flavor or variety. That being said - her main source of nutriance is formula or breastmilk till about a year, so maybe you could offer her a smaller bottle or a sipppy cup of formula with her oatmeal breakfast. Sometimes around this age they start seeing we don't drink out of bottles & want to start drinking from cups... might be a good time to introduce a new thing.

Baby food is great, and it's good that she's eating a variety of foods. At this age, though, formula should be her primary source of nutrition, as that is what is most appropriate for her age & development.

What you might want to do is look up how much formula is recommended for her age and weight and just make sure she is getting enough formula throughout the day. You might find that she does not necessarily need that morning bottle. Then again, you might find that she really does and that you need to cut back a little on the baby food. Either way, you'll be glad to know what the recommendation is.

Have you tried offering her the bottle first before offering any food? Sometimes kids fill up on food and aren't hungry for the bottle.

Good luck! It really is good to know that she is a good eater. You just want to make sure she's getting enough of the good nutrition for her age.

Doesn't matter how far above the curve you feel your child is - they are still the same biologically, metabolically and physically - they need breastmilk or formula as the MAIN source of nutrition for at least a year. Solids should be for fun, trying new textures and learning to chew and swallow.

Recommendation: wean off so many solids and encourage more formula within 3 days and keep it that way until end of 11th month and start SLOWING increasing solids then.

She should be getting her bottle first at each feeding. While trying out 'real food' is important - for her developing tastes, an adventurous palate and probably for her immune system as well - her nutrition (calories, fat, protein, vitamins) should come from her formula. So bottle, then offer food.

You should not thicken her formula with cereal as her swallowing mechanism (which protects her airway) is not stimulated the same way with sucking vs. eating. But is you are giving her cereal with a spoon - you should be making it with formula rather than water.

I also did NOT use 'baby food'. I used real food (fresh fruit, veggies, meat, fish, eggs, etc) pureed to the correct texture).

Putting formula in their cereal is exactly what I do. However, if I'm right, baby cereal, especially the Rice Cereal has the iron that is so important for babies. So if the baby is no longer interested in their morning feedings, then baby cereal will be okay too.

If you have any concerns that maybe your baby isn't getting the nutritional value he or she needs, maybe make an appointment with your doctor to get a more detailed answer for your baby.

i would mix the formula in the cereal its the same scoop amount as a bottle so she is getting the nutrience the same.

I get so frustrated with this topic so bear with me please.

Babies need their formula the first year. Cut her food intake back so that she will be getting the nutrients she needs. You are feeding her way too much food if she is not taking bottles at 7 months....why is she having to eat so much? To make up for the lack of nutrition she is being served.

Baby food has ALMOST NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE. Nearly none. That is straight from the horses mouth. They told me this when I called to ask about some stage 3 food that a friend gave me that was out of date by a couple of weeks. I can't remember if it was Gerber or Del Monte that I called but they told me the information. They said if parents understood the purpose of baby food they would not buy it until the kids were closer to being transitioned to whole milk.

Also, as soon as that food goes into the little jar it starts loosing it's nutritional values due to light, air, temperature, etc...it retains nothing of it's original food after a couple of weeks, it becomes flavored goo with nothing in it to sustain the child. They feel full but their body is starving.

They said it has very minimal nutrition to it because it is to be used to teach babies to chew and swallow so they can eat regular food when they get weaned.

Their nutrition is supposed to come from their formula or breast milk. They need super high concentrations of nutrients that they get from those. Baby food does not have any of those in them.

So if she is a "good eater" is might be because she is not getting enough nutrition and is starving for nutrients. Lower her intake of food and make her take more formula. She needs nutrition.